


honey between our shadows

by founders



Series: hook, line, and this won't sink us [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Body Image, Body Worship, Enthusiastic Consent, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hair Washing, M/M, Safe Sane and Consensual, So is John, alexander is chubby and i love him, supportive friends, what can i say i'm a slut for this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-06-01 02:15:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6496843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/founders/pseuds/founders
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex is small and soft, everything about him is rounded out and plump, and it all fits perfectly in John’s palms like he was made for it. His belly is pleasantly tubby, his hips doughy, his thighs thick and lovely. His ass is out of this world, big and beautiful and John wants to press his fingers in and watch it bounce.</p><p>.</p><p>A mostly porny follow up to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/6482851">this fic</a>, the vague 'The Office' au wherein Alex has some issues with his body and John wants to show him how much he loves it</p><p>[author name used to be rosenbergs]</p>
            </blockquote>





	honey between our shadows

**Author's Note:**

> someone said sequel and here we are, just shy of two days after i uploaded the first fic

It’s some time in the early A.M. when John wakes up, his limbs heavy with sleep and sinking into the mattress, Alexander sprawled on top of him, sleep soft and warm. They’re still on top of the covers, naked and shivering just slightly, and John squints at the clock on his bedside table to get a better idea of where they’re at.

04:07 blink the blue numbers back at him and he realises that they must have fallen asleep quite early, having finished the movie at around nine and finished… _other things_ a little bit later.

John shivers, flexing his palm on Alex’s ass, rubbing his shaking thumb over his skin. This is _Alexander_ , limp against him and _naked,_  covered in purple and red bruises and marks from John’s mouth and fingers, lips still swollen and red, his thighs a mess of bright pink marks from where John had fucked his cock between them. He can’t quite wrap his head around it. This time yesterday he was fast asleep, expecting to wake up to another day of quiet longing, watching Alexander through his lashes and sketching his profile during the slow hours at work, his heart aching to close the few metres of distance between their desks and just _kiss_ him.

It’s been like that every day for the past three years, John pining pathetically for Alex and watching him covertly, never quite getting up the courage to _do_ anything, no matter how much his friends urged him. He can’t believe that he’s had his hands on Alex, touched his soft skin and followed his fingers with his mouth, made Alex beg and moan, kissed his pretty lips and swallowed his whimpers, swallowed his _dick_ too. It’s like his brain can’t quite reconcile the memory of feeling so helplessly in love with the sensation of having it returned, finally. _This is your life now_ , he thinks. _With Alex_.

He suddenly realises that while he’s been reminiscing he’s begun to palm Alex’s ass harder, to pinch the skin a little absently, and Alex is squirming against his side and making low grumbly noises. John guiltily takes his hand away, briefly mourning the loss of Alex’s beautiful ass, and strokes his fingers through Alex’s hair instead, shushing him and telling him to go back to sleep.

“Sleep?” Alex mumbles, snuffling his nose into John’s ribs and opening his mouth into an adorable little yawn, like a kitten.

“Yeah, sleep,” whispers John and Alex ignores his request entirely and blinks his eyes open, squinting up at John with messy hair and sticky eyelashes, his nose crinkled up.

His face softens, though, when his brain catches up with his eyes. “Hi John,” he says sleepily and John’s heart squeezes happily in his chest.

“Good morning Alexander,” he replies, hushed, biting down the grin that wants to spill across his face goofily. He’s a bit self conscious about his smile, the way it shows all his teeth, and to be honest the inside of his mouth tastes gross right now and he doesn’t want to subject Alex to that, not the morning after a perfect night, not at the start of this new chapter.

But Alex leans up anyway and presses his lips against John’s, dry and slightly chapped, ever so sweetly, and John’s heart speeds up at this one simple gesture. He breathes in sharply and slides both his hands into Alex’s long hair, tilts his head and opens his mouth a little, giving himself over to the kiss. Alex’s tongue flicks against his lips and they both pull back, giggling a little, both slightly grossed out at the taste of their mouths.

“Come on, let’s brush our teeth,” John pokes Alex in the side and Alex whimpers, going lax against him in protest, obviously not wanting to get up and out of bed. John laughs under his breath and wiggles out from under Alex, listening to him whine and pout after him as John pads over to the bathroom, flicking on the light and wincing at the brightness.

Alex joins him with his eyes still half closed as John is running his toothbrush under the water and he sways into John’s side, pressing his forehead into his bicep and sighing deeply. John has to nudge him upright again and press a spare toothbrush into his palm, maneuvering Alex until he’s pressed between John and the counter, leaning his back into John’s chest and scrubbing at his teeth weakly.

John almost forgets to brush his own teeth, distracted as he is by Alex. He looks lovely in this light, the brown of his skin almost glowing and all of the marks John left on him standing out starkly. He’s a little surprised at how many tiny bruises he’s left: they’re all over Alexander’s hips and belly, covering the insides of his thighs, and he’s left little purple fingertip marks on his ass. Alex’s nipples are red and swollen and there’s a hickey the size of a fist on his collarbone. He didn’t really think about it last night but he might have gone a bit overboard, hopped up on the adrenaline rush of finally getting to touch Alex, and feeling possessive after what Alex told him about his body.

Alex himself doesn’t seem to realise that he’s standing stark naked in John’s bathroom, all his skin on display for John’s eager eyes to roam over. He’d implied that he didn’t like his body, that he thought he was unattractive, and John concedes that Alex’s body is different from his own. He’s tall and wiry and he likes to work out, plays volleyball at the weekends, lifts weights, and runs in the park. He’s got muscles in his arms, he’s got a six pack, he’s got a tight ass and strong thighs, lean calves and sharp hip bones. Alex is small and soft, everything about him is rounded out and plump, and it all fits perfectly in John’s palms like he was made for it. His belly is pleasantly tubby, his hips doughy, his thighs thick and lovely. His ass is out of this world, big and beautiful and John wants to press his fingers in and watch it bounce.

So Alex doesn’t look like he does. It doesn’t come as a surprise to him, he does have eyes and he spends a lot of time looking at and sighing over Alexander, so he knows that Alex’s body is different from his. But he doesn’t understand why Alex seems to think he’s unattractive. It physically pained him last night to watch the way Alex had curled in on himself when he’d pulled his hoodie off, avoiding John’s eyes like he was scared of what he’d see there. All John had seen was Alex; _his_ Alex, beautiful and soft and all of his curves so inviting, the rolls of his stomach begging for John to knead his fingers into.

His dick twitches just thinking about it and he abruptly realises he’s fantasising when the real thing is stood right in front of him, leaning his weight back on John’s chest and breathing slowly. Alex seems to have fallen asleep with the toothbrush in his mouth and John smiles and spits out his mouthful of foam, running his toothbrush under the tap and returning it to its placeholder, then gently tugging the brush out of Alex’s mouth. Alex wakes with a start and John presses a kiss into his shoulder, gazing at their reflection in the mirror.

Alex looks exhausted, the bags under his eyes heavy and dark, and John wraps his arm around his waist and rest his chin on his shoulder, drinking him in. Alex hums happily, still half asleep, leaning more of his weight on John as he relaxes. John looks at the way he’s wrapped around Alex, at how the freckles on his forearms look next to the smoothness of Alex’s skin, compares the little bruises on Alex’s hips and belly to the nail marks and scratches that adorn his own shoulders.

He hides a grin in Alex’s skin, squeezing his eyes shut. The scratch marks ache and sting, raised and red where Alex had dug his fingernails in, and he doesn’t think Alex quite realised he was doing it but it felt fucking incredible at the time, Alex’s cock in his mouth and his fingers scrabbling at John’s back.

He revels in the quietness of the moment and presses another kiss against Alex’s shoulder. He honestly doesn’t think Alex is alert enough to feel self conscious right now; if he was then he’d probably squirm out of John’s arms and try to hide himself. It makes him happy to know that Alex trusts him at his basest level, when his mind isn’t running at a million miles an hour and overthinking things. That he can hold Alex like this, their naked skin pressed together, soft against hard, feels like a miracle to him.

He’ll have to work on Alex being this open and comfortable when his mind is switched on at a hundred percent, they’ll have to work on it _together_ , and John knows that it’ll be worth it. He’ll shower Alex with love, fuck his adoration into him, until every cell in Alex knows exactly how he makes John feel, what he can do to him, and he never feels uncomfortable around him again.

“That’s nice,” Alex mumbles, tilting his head to the side, and John realises he’s been pressing more kisses along the skin of Alex’s shoulder. Alex hums and presses his ass back against John and he chuckles, nipping at Alex’s ear.

“You want?” he asks, “Now?”

“I’m awake,” Alex says. He lazily lifts his hand and slides it around the back of John’s neck, tangling his fingers in the short curls at the nape.

“You weren’t a second ago,” John retorts and Alex slaps him weakly.

John pinches his stomach and grins at him in the mirror. Alex’s eyes are fully open now and John hold eye contact as he softly bites at the juncture of Alex’s neck where his collarbones start.

“You look beautiful,” he whispers and Alex blushes immediately, ducking his head and squirming in John’s grip. His shoulders curve in on themselves like he’s trying to make himself smaller, trying to hide, and John pinches his stomach again.

“You look so lovely covered in my marks,” he continues and Alex squirms harder. “Listen to me, Alex. You’re so gorgeous, so soft and smooth, I want to touch every inch of your skin for the rest of my life.”

“You’re just saying that,” Alex mutters and John immediately shakes his head.

“I love you, Alex, it’s the truth. Listen to me. I’ll tell you it over and over, every day, until you believe me.” He presses his dick into the back of Alex’s thigh, showing him how it’s thickening slowly, and he breathes over Alex’s skin, wet from his kisses.

“I want you,” and Alex shivers. He squirms in John’s arms again but not like he’s trying to hide this time, rather that he’s trying to rub himself all over John, pushing his ass into John’s dick and arching his back.

“Arch you back,” John sings quietly. “Point your toes,” and Alex giggles, a soft silly smile making its way onto his face, a small dimple popping in his cheek.

“You’ve got a playlist full of sex songs, don’t you?” he grins.

“We can listen to it if you want,” John doesn’t even bother trying to deny it. He’s often turned the music on and laid down on his bed, fisting his cock and thinking about Alex, but now Alex is in his arms and he doesn’t have to resort to fantasies.

“Let it beat, baby, breathe, I swear I’m right here,” he sings and grinds his dick into the soft flesh of Alex’s ass cheeks, kissing his skin in the pauses. “We’ll be good, I promise, we’ll be so good.”

Alex swats at his arm, scoffing lightly. “You don’t have to seduce me, John, I’m already yours.”

John’s heart squeezes painfully in his chest and he stares at Alex in the mirror. He’s vaguely aware of the dopey look on his face, the way that hearts are practically leaping out of his eyes, but he doesn’t care.

“I’m yours,” he repeats dazedly. “You’re mine.”

Alex nods shyly and raises John’s hand, kissing his knuckles. “Come on,” he whispers, “Back to bed.”

Alex crawls under the covers this time and John follows him slowly, watching the way Alex pulls the covers straight over his head and wriggles around underneath them adorably, breathing through the physical pain in his chest caused by his happiness. He still can’t believe it. _You’re here, he’s here, you’re both doing this_ , he thinks to himself as he slides in next to Alex, wrapping his arms around him automatically and pulling him in close. He doesn’t want Alex to think for a second that John doesn’t constantly want to be touching him.

Alex kisses the base of his throat, first just chastely but it quickly turns into him sucking a bruise into John’s skin, wet and hard. John groans and flops back, letting Alex explore his body the same way he did to Alex last night.

“Your freckles,” Alex breathes, skating his fingers across John’s shoulders, his chest, down his arms.

“There’s too many,” John says shyly, feeling his toes curl up under Alex’s attention.

“There’s the perfect amount,” Alex retorts. “I’m going to kiss every single one of them,” he continues and it’s such an _Alex_ thing to say, so utterly ridiculous, and yet John knows without a doubt that Alex will rise to the challenge and actually accomplish it someday.

He chuckles and slides his hands into Alex’s long hair, pulling him up from where he’s mouthing at his sternum and pressing their lips together.

“Maybe not right now,” he mumbles and Alex hums and licks at John’s lips teasingly.

“What did you have in mind for now, then?” he asks. His voice has dropped down just slightly, low in his arousal, and John sucks in a sharp breath, trying to clear his thoughts.

There’s _so_ many things he wants to do with Alex, to Alex, and he’s had plenty of time to think about it. Alex has been the subject of every jerk off session he’s had since he met him, three whole years ago, so he’s got a wank bank almost overflowing with fantasies and scenarios that he wants to work his way through thoroughly, but right now his brain is having difficulty choosing which one to start with. He thinks about the way Alex’s ass had bounced just slightly as he’d walked back to bed, John’s hot gaze following the movement, and licks his lips.

He trails his hands down Alex’s back until he can grab two fistfuls of his ass in his palms, squeezing. “Can we?” he breathes and Alex rocks forwards and groans and nods fervently.

He pulls Alex’s cheeks apart, gripping and massaging at the flesh, then lets him go and listens to Alex whimper. “I want to see you,” he says and pulls the covers back down.

Alex whines. “It’s cold.”

“I’ll keep you warm,” he whispers and Alex snorts suddenly, smacking him on the arm.

“That was terrible,” he laughs and John rolls his eyes and pulls him down so Alex is on his chest, straddling his waist with his ass in the air for John to play with all he likes.

He fumbles for the lube, still on his bedside table from where he’d discarded it last night, next to the damp cloth that’s crusting with their come which is super gross. John wrinkles his nose but, honestly, he has better things to do right now than be concerned with something as trivial as basic hygiene.

He slicks his palm and runs his fingers over Alex’s cock, placing the lube on the bed to use later. He wants to get his fingers in Alex, wants to fuck him so hard he’ll see stars, but he also wants to continue just touching him everywhere. He hasn’t got his fill of Alex’s body yet, probably never will, and he wants to spend every moment he can get appreciating every square inch of Alex’s skin.

Alex breathes heavily and bucks his hips into John’s teasing fingers, leaning forwards and kissing him soundly. He slides his tongue into John’s mouth and licks over the back of his teeth, nipping at his lips every time he pulls back to breathe, sucking on John’s tongue and driving him wild.

John tightens his fist around Alex’s cock and rubs his fingers over the head on every upstroke and Alex whines and jerks in his grip. His other hand skims over Alex’s back, the dip of his waist, the curve of his buttocks, all the way down to the backs of his thighs and up again, over and over, until Alex is rocking backwards and forwards, not knowing whether to push back into John’s palm or fuck up into his fist.

John kisses him briefly on the lips and finds the lube again, flicking the cap open one handed and pouring some out awkwardly, some of it ending up on the bedspread. He rubs his fingers together, slowing his other hand to a slick massage over the head of Alex’s dick, teasing him until Alex groans and bucks forward, trying to find friction for himself.

“Sh, sh, it’s okay,” he finds himself mumbling, reassuring him.

Alex is flushed and sweaty, panting, red and pink spreading in blotches over his skin from his cheeks down to his chest. He looks incredible, hovering over John like some kind of celestial being, glowing. His eyes linger on the marks that litter his skin and he bites his lip through the wave of want, of desire, to add more.

“Come on, John,” Alex begs, “Please, touch me, do something, anything, John please,” and his eyebrows furrow as he tries to jerk his hips up again, the red tip of his dick swollen in John’s grip and leaking steadily.

John shushes him again, shakes himself out of his reverie, and lets go of his cock. The whine Alexander lets out is obscene, high pitched and needy, and John’s heart beats a tattoo against his ribs as he hears it, knowing it’s _for him_ , it’s _because_ of him. Alex is here, flushed and squirming on top of him, and he can have this, he can touch this, he doesn’t have to pine or wait or imagine anymore.

He moves his hands to Alex’s ass, gripping the cheeks and pulling them apart, and Alex whines and flops onto his chest, burying his head in John’s shoulder. John takes a moment to appreciate the site spread out in front of him: Alex’s tapered waist flaring out into his hips, his thighs spread out over John, his ass high in the air, his own hands spreading the cheeks, broad and digging into Alex’s skin, leaving behind fading red marks.

He breathes deep, kisses the side of Alex’s head where he’s still whimpering into John’s shoulder, and rubs the pads of his fingers against Alex’s hole. Alex clenches and groans, rocking back in his grip, pushing himself closer to John’s fingers. John ignores him and rubs his fingers there again, teasing around the edges, smoothing the lube until Alex is wet all between his cheeks. He imagines what it would feel like if he’d gotten Alex wet with his tongue, opening him up that way and licking into him, his face buried between Alex’s ample cheeks, and his cock throbs.

He swallows down a moan and starts adding more pressure, circling the tip of two fingers over Alex’s entrance over and over, pressing down but not dipping in. Alex nips at the skin of his shoulder, pushing his ass back further. He’s panting heavily, squirming on top of him, but he still manages to make such beautiful sounds, begging and pleading John to get inside him.

“I’ve got you,” John murmurs nonsensically and Alex moans.

“Please,” he repeats, “Please, John, I need it, I need-”

And John pushes the tip of his finger in, making Alex break off into a whine.

“Thank you, thank you,” he pants and John sinks his finger further in, fucking it in and out gently, until he’s down to the second knuckle and Alex is wriggling around for more.

“I’ve got you,” he says again, and pushes in a second finger. Alex moans again, rocking his hips back and forth and dragging his wet cock over John’s stomach, his eyes clenched in pleasure.

John’s breath hitches. Alex is so tight and hot around him, devastatingly so, and the sound of his fingers slickly sliding into him coupled with the noises Alex is making is driving him insane, making him impatient, when he knows he should take it slow and _worship_ him. He can’t help it, though, the way his hips jerk up and his cock slides against Alex’s skin, so soft and warm, so giving. He wonders if he could get off by pushing his cock into the pudge of Alex’s tummy, rubbing himself there until he comes messily on Alex’s skin, and groans loudly.

“More, please John, more,” Alex is saying and John happily gives it to him, pressing a third finger into him and carefully making him take it, rubbing his fingers into his hot walls and stretching him out for his cock.

“You wanna ride me?” he asks, restless and eager to sink his cock into Alex.

Alex whines pitifully. “I’m too tired, I can’t-” he gasps, his breath hitching as John pulls his fingers out with a wet pop and nudges him up.

“Please,” he begs and John kisses him deeply, hot and dirty, their tongues sliding against each other messily.

“I’ve got you,” he says when he pulls back, watching Alex’s eyelashes flutter. Alex nods and lets John push at his thigh until he lifts his leg and John can crawl off the bed and resettle himself behind him, pushing his shoulders down and easing his legs further apart until he’s spread out, face down, ass up.

“Fuck,” John murmurs, drinking him in. He kneads his fingers into Alex’s hips, palms his ass cheeks and spreads them open. Alex’s hole is red and open, shining slightly from the lube, and John groans lowly.

“Baby, you look incredible,” he says in awe and shuffles closer, leaning over Alex and brushing the long hair away from the back of Alex’s neck where he’s sweaty. He leans in and kisses his shoulder and Alex sighs happily, rubbing his face into the pillow and pushing his ass back into John’s hips. John hisses, his dick coming into contact with Alex’s skin, and need surges through him urgently.

He grips the base of his cock, sliding it briefly between Alex’s cheeks in an imitation of last night, and then gently pushes the head in, biting his lip. His eyes slam shut and he sucks in a sharp breath at the feel of it, Alex hot around him and clenching, trying to get John inside him faster. John digs his fingers into his hips and sinks inside another inch or two, revelling in the wet slide of it, the heat gripping at him.

“Shit,” he gasps, suddenly. “A condom, I’m not wearing a condom, fuck,” and Alex groans and whines as John pulls out of him and scrabbles around his bedside drawer.

“Is it really that important?” Alex mutters, reaching back and sinking two fingers inside himself. John stops short at the sight, the condom in his fingers almost slipping through his grip in his daze of lust and arousal.

“Safe sex is good sex,” he hears himself say weakly.

Alex wiggles his ass and groans. “Well currently we’re not having sex at all so I suggest you get back up here and stick your dick in me before I come from my own fingers,” he grits out.

John scrambles back behind him, knocking Alex’s fingers out of the way and ripping into the condom, rolling it quickly down his cock and giving it a quick tug, rubbing off the residual lube on his palm. He spreads Alex’s cheeks again and pushes in again, deeper this time, not wanting to waste any more time when he could be _inside_ Alex, fucking into his incredible ass and making him scream.

Alex’s fingers twist into the bedspread as John slides into him, hissing when he bottoms out. His balls are pressed against the bottom of Alex’s ass, his hips against the top, and he’s never felt closer to a person than he does now, draping himself over Alex’s back and kissing his shoulder as he drags his hips back and fucks forward, setting a slow pace.

It’s hot and heavy, and he distantly thinks that he’s making good on his promise to keep Alex warm. It’s not quite as intense with the condom on as it was in those few seconds he was inside Alex without it, and he resolves to get himself checked out as soon as possible, get them both checked out, so they can fuck bare, messy and dirty and wonderful.

Alex is tight, so tight, and John’s hips speed up without him really thinking about it, chasing the heat. Alex seems enthusiastically on board with this, rocking his hips back and moaning continuously, gasping into the pillow with every thrust. John presses his forehead to the nape of Alex’s neck, squeezing his eyes shut and listening to the slap of his hips into Alex’s ass, the wet slick noises of his cock as he thrusts, the little whimpers Alex is making combined with his own short grunts.

Alex’s legs have spread even wider under the weight of John and the motion of his hips and John peels himself away to reposition his legs, gripping his thighs hard and pushing them closer together. It forces Alex’s ass cheeks closer together too, and he feels impossibly tighter when John pushes into the next thrust.

From this position he can see the way Alex’s ass bounces every time John’s hips slam into him, the jiggle of it, the way it makes his skin ripple and shake. It’s indecent, so hot that John groans loudly and fucks him harder, pounding into him, watching Alex’s ass surging with the force of it. He can feel himself getting close, that tight heat starting to tingle in his groin, and he breathes deeply and forces himself to slow down.

Alex whimpers as John grinds into him and kneads his fingers deep into the flesh of his ass, pinching the skin. His hips have left red marks on Alex’s skin and he rubs his fingers into them, looking up when Alex hisses and arches his back.

“Baby girl,” he sighs, folding himself over Alex’s back and kissing his shoulder, his neck, the back of his head. Alex sobs his name and it’s like music to his ears, making his hips jerk shortly. Alex is making little punched out _uh, uh, uh,_ noises as John grinds into him thickly, rubbing the head of his cock over Alex’s prostate.

“One day,” he whispers hot and close in Alex’s ear, “I’m gonna have you ride me, watch you bounce on my cock, hold onto your hips and let you use me. I’m gonna have you go reverse, push you down until all I can see is your ass, working yourself down on my cock, and watch myself sink into you.”

Alex seems to have stopped breathing altogether. “You don’t know what you do to me,” John says, jerking his hips sharply and absolutely _nailing_ Alex’s prostate. Alex’s eyes fly open and he gasps loudly, his back bowing obscenely and pushing himself back into John, making him grunt.

“I’ll just have to show you,” he breathes, grabbing Alex’s hips and pulling back until the tip of his cock is just teasing Alex’s hole and he can feel the way Alex clenches, trying to suck him back in. “I’ll have to fuck it into you until you understand.”

He slams back in and Alex lets out a strangled sound, almost a scream, his breath hitching every time John pushes in. He’s using his grip on Alex’s hips to help the movement along, rocking Alex back and forth as he chases that heat, gets lost in the tightness of Alex around him, the lewd noises that their skin makes together shaking something animalistic loose inside of him.

Alex clenches down around him and John gasps, moaning Alex’s name as he comes, jerking his hips sharply and savouring the rush of completion. He’s just with it enough to stay inside Alex, grinding his cock into Alex’s prostate before he softens, and fisting a hand around Alex’s dick, smearing the wetness at the head down the shaft and jerking him off quick and dirty.

Alex tenses up and comes all over his fingers, tightening around John’s oversensitive cock and making him hiss uncomfortably, and he quickly pulls out when Alex flops forward into the wet spot.

John chuckles as Alex makes pathetic noises and flails his limbs about, rubbing his face into the pillow and yawning. He gets up on shaky legs and snags the washcloth from last night off the bedside table, padding over to the bathroom and running it under the tap to rinse it out.

When he looks in the mirror he can see that he’s a _wreck_ , eyes blown wide and splotchy red patches all over him where he’s flushed, his freckles standing out. Alex has left some marks on him and he touches them carefully, grinning at his reflection. He strips off the condom and throws it in the bin, wiping his own cock before returning to Alex and gently lifting his hips to wipe the lube off his ass and the come off his stomach.

He pushes Alex up the bed and strips off the duvet, dumping it on the floor to be washed some other time, and returns to the bathroom to wash out the cloth again and find some blankets that they can sleep under.

Alex is sprawled out in the middle of the bed on his stomach, his ass still red and raw, and John has another moment of shocking disbelief overwhelm him. It seemed impossible this time yesterday, and yet here they are, two orgasms each later.

Alex is pliant and sleepy, letting John push and pull at him until his head is on John’s chest again and he’s mumbling quietly into John’s skin and kissing his ribs. John grins and strokes a hand through his hair, wrapping the blankets around both of them and letting himself relax into the mattress, sated and happy.

“I love you,” Alex whispers and John wonders if he can hear the way his heart speeds up.

“I love you too,” he says in return and listens to Alex hum, closing his eyes and letting himself drop off.

 

.

 

His alarm wakes them back up a scant few hours later, eight o’clock and sunlight striping through the blinds. He groans and rubs his eyes, shoving his nose into Alex’s hair and breathing deeply.

Alex grumbles sleepily and pushes himself up, squinting at the clock and immediately collapsing back down onto his chest, groaning. John grins happily, beyond thrilled to have woken up to this twice, hoping fervently to wake up to it again and again in the future.

“Up we get,” he says, breaking the moment and poking Alex in the side. “We’ve gotta shower and get dressed so I can drop you off at yours to get changed, you can’t wear the same clothes two days in a row.”

Alex groans again and lets his muscles go dead, pressing his weight into John entirely. John giggles and pushes at his waist, pinching his hips, trying to get him to move.

“I’ve gotta open the office,” he gripes, “Or we won’t be able to get into work.”

“Good,” Alex mumbles. “I don’t wanna go to work, I don’t ever want to work again, I want to stay right here.”

Something in John’s chest melts a little at that but he’s pragmatic enough to realise it’s probably Alex just being stubborn and grumpy.

“Since when has Alexander Hamilton said no to work?”

“Since Alexander Hamilton slept with John Laurens and now wants to do nothing but sleep and fuck all day and all night,” he replies, muffled.

John pinches him again. “That’s a nice thought but we’ve gotta work to get money, need money to buy condoms, need condoms to have sex,” he explains.

“We’ll go to the doctors and get ourselves cleared, then we won’t have to waste money on condoms,” he retorts.

“Ah, but going to the doctor’s means getting out of bed,” John says triumphantly. “You can’t win this.”

Alex whines in defeat and dramatically rolls off him, slouching out of bed and pulling John up with him, leading him into the bathroom and stepping tiredly into the tub, turning the water on one handed. He tugs John in with him, John smiling softly down at him and letting Alex move him wherever he likes, shoving his hand under the water and muttering impatiently for it to heat up quicker.

He pushes John into the spray once he deems the warmth reasonable and John goes willingly, the water matting down his curls and running over his body. Alex kisses along his collarbone and starts to suck a mark there and John groans.

“We don’t have time,” he protests but tips his head back anyway. Alex hums and sets his teeth to the bone, nipping at his skin, little red marks blooming in response.

“Can I wash your hair?” he asks, looking up at John with his big brown eyes and John honestly finds it hard enough to deny Alexander anything anyway, and can’t even begin to contemplate saying no when he’s standing wet and naked in front of him.

He ducks his head down and lets Alex gather his hair up, fiddling with the curls. He lets go and finds John’s shampoo, the special expensive stuff that is the only thing that works properly on his hair and also smells nice at the same time. He pours some into his palm and John watches him rise onto his tip toes and scrub it into his hair, lathering it up and massaging his fingers into his scalp.

He moans and drops his head forward, wrapping his arms around Alex’s waist and relaxing completely. Alex just hums again and works the shampoo in harder.

“Shit,” he says suddenly. “Did I do this to you?” and his fingers trace over the red lines on John’s back, the little half moons that bite into his shoulders.

John chuckles and kisses Alex’s neck. “Yep,” he says proudly.

Alex tilts his head back and under the spray again and John squeezes his eyes shut as the suds run down his face. “You should have told me,” he chides, but John pouts.

“I liked it,” he insists and Alex makes a doubtful noise but goes back to humming.

He works the conditioner in next and John has to reluctantly hurry him along, aware of the time they’re using up, pushing Alex under the water and washing his hair quickly as the conditioner sits in his. Alex’s hair is dark and long, brushing his shoulders, and it slips gently through John’s fingers. He turns him around and bends him over slightly, pulling apart his ass cheeks and checking that he’s not hurt him. Alex’s hole is still red, slightly open, and John’s breath hitches. He finds himself absently rubbing his thumbs into Alex’s ass, playing with the flesh, and he leans forward and presses a kiss to Alex’s hole before he can stop himself.

Alex whimpers when John nudges him upright again and he rolls his eyes, whispering _later, later_ and petting Alex’s tummy placatingly.

They stumble out of the shower, dripping onto the floor as John rummages around for some towels, and he lets Alex rub the towel through his hair, grinning when Alex laughs at his hair springing wildly around his head. He lends Alex some boxers, getting distracted by the way they sit on his hips, and gets dressed as Alex grumbles about John not having a hairdryer.

Once they’re fully dressed, Alex in his clothes from the day before, he corrals Alex into the small kitchen and makes him eat a banana while he himself works his way though a bowl of muesli, fixing them both mugs of strong instant coffee that they down with grimaces, shaking off the dregs of good sleep and preparing for the day. He swings his keys around his fingers as he waits for Alex to gather up his stuff, both of them shuffling quietly out of the door and into John’s car, humming along to the radio as they drive to Alex’s flat.

John waits in the car while Alex jogs upstairs to get changed and dry his hair, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the cheery songs playing on the morning radio. He reemerges with red cheeks and slides carefully into the car, wearing a new shirt and tie with his now dry hair tied at the nape of his neck. He laughs when a One Direction song comes on the radio and John starts to belt it out obnoxiously until Alex joins in on the chorus, _nobody can drag me down_.

Alex goes to check that his bike is still okay while John opens the doors to the office building, whistling into the cold air and holding the door open for Alex to go through first. Alex rolls his eyes at the dumb gesture but it makes John happy to do it nonetheless. He reaches out and grabs Alex’s hand in the elevator, grinning sillily into thin air, and Alex swings their hands between them like they’re little kids.

They shuffle around their desks, booting up computers and turning the phones on. John goes to get the first pot of coffee dripping and ready for everyone when they bustle in while Alex fucks around doing whatever it is salespeople do. Lafayette arrives first, bouncing through the doors, and he gasps happily at both of them.

“Did you boys have fun last night?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows. John huffs and ducks his head to hide his blush but Alex just chews slowly on a sweet he’s stolen from reception and stares Lafayette down.

“It was fine,” he says, “We watched Disney movies.”

Lafayette’s eyes narrow. “You didn’t do anything else?”

“We fell asleep?” Alex replies, furrowing his brow in mock confusion. Lafayette looks between them for a minute before he throws his hands up in a huff and stalks over to his desk. Alex grins and shoots John a quick wink and John feels his heart melt.

Washington arrives next, grumbling and heading straight for the coffee, and everyone trickles in after him, saying good morning to John and settling themselves in. He sees Peggy make a stop at Alex’s desk, leaning down to murmur something quietly at him, and Alex shakes his head and waves her off, looking uncomfortable. John wants to ask him what’s wrong but they’re at work and the phones start ringing and it’s probably unprofessional.

“Mount Vernon, this is John,” he repeats all day, connecting calls to people’s desks and taking messages for Washington, typing up emails to liaise with their suppliers, their deliverers, their partners and developers and managers and a whole host of people John doesn’t care about. Sometimes he wonders how a place like Mount Vernon is still going, an independent tea supplier in the middle of Virginia, but here they all are, chugging away like trains travelling around a closed loop track.

He eats lunch in the break room with the Schuyler sisters, giggling and flicking little bits of their sandwiches at Lee until he storms out. Burr sighs his disapproval but they all ignore him. Angelica wants to know how it went last night and all three of them lean in expectantly and pout when John shrugs and says it was nice, they watched movies and fell asleep, pretty much what they would have done if everyone had been there as planned. He distracts them with questions about their night downtown and Peggy grouses about how many men danced with Angelica while Angelica herself preens and pouts her bright red lips. Eliza laughs at them both and tells them how nice it is to be in a relationship until Peggy kicks her in the shin, telling her to shut up about Maria.

“Us single folk have got to stick together,” she points between herself, Angelica, and John and he bites his lip to stop himself from correcting her.

“Here’s to the hunt for dick,” Angelica toasts, lifting her can of Orangina in the air.

“I’ll drink to that,” John laughs and takes a sip of his water at the same time as the other two chug, turning it into a competition to see who can finish their can first. Angelica wins and Peggy grumbles adorably.

“Gotta pop to the bathroom,” he mumbles and the girls wave him off, leaning back together to chat about what sounds like latest episode of Jane the Virgin and he debates whether he should bother to start it or not as he unzips his pants at the urinal.

It’s all going fine, business as usual, until Lafayette bursts in and scares the everliving shit out of him.

“Oh my god, Laf!” he cries and Lafayette thrusts his finger in his face and wags it around.

“You and Alexander had sex!” he accuses and John looks wildly around to check no one else is in the bathroom before glaring at his friend.

“Can we have this conversation when my dick _isn’t_ hanging out of my pants?” he grits out and Lafayette rolls his eyes, tapping his foot impatiently as John shakes off and goes to wash his hands.

“I see that you aren’t denying it,” Lafayette drawls, raising his eyebrows at John in the mirror.

“How do you even know?” he hisses, glaring back. Neither of them have visible marks and they haven’t really interacted all day, so unless Lafayette has some sort of spidey sense for sex then he’s stumped.

Lafayette snorts. “Alexander is limping around like he’s had four cocks shoved up his ass at once and you’re asking me how I _know_?”

John winces. For a non-native of their language, Lafayette sure can be extremely and vividly vulgar sometimes. His brain catches up with the words, eventually, and he blinks.

“What do you mean, Alex is limping?”

Lafayette shrugs. “What do you want to me to say, mon ami, either he took it up the ass with you or he snuck out in the middle of the night to do it with someone else. The romantic within me wants to go with the first option, so that is what I’m choosing to believe.”

John’s chest feels tight. Did he hurt Alex? Alex hadn’t said anything this morning, and he didn’t even _notice_ him walking any differently. Is he that neglectful?

“So you fucked, oui?” Lafayette prompts and John nods absently.

“We had sex, it was amazing, we’re-” he flails his hands about inelegantly, “- _in love_.”

Lafayette presses a palm to his chest and smiles proudly at him. John rolls his eyes.

“Who won the bet?” he asks, exasperated, because he knows his friends and he knows they’re gossips and he knows that they know about his pathetic pining after Alex so _of course_ there was a bet.

Lafayette scowls. “No one. Everyone got so fed up that they wouldn’t take me up on it anymore,” he pouts.

“But it is no matter,” he waves his hand dismissively. “How was it?”

John isn’t even surprised. Of course Lafayette wants details and something in his chest squirms unpleasantly at the thought of talking about it with someone without Alex’s permission but he honestly can’t hold it in.

“Amazing,” he gushes, wide eyed. “The way he felt, the way he kissed me, Lafayette, it was better than anything I’ve ever imagined. He was so _tight_ ,” he whimpers and Lafayette laughs, throwing his head back with his joy.

“I think you have imagined this many times, am I right?” he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

“It was better, Laf, like you wouldn’t believe. His body, his curves, his skin is so soft, I must have left a hundred marks on him,” he says earnestly, a part of his mind remembering it and making his heart race all over again.

He licks his lips. “But he told me,” he starts and then hesitates. Lafayette furrows his brow, gesturing for him to go on, and John decides that he’s come this far so he might as well go all the way.

“He told me that he doesn’t think he’s attractive. Well, he implied it but, really, he was so shy. He kept trying to hide from me when all I wanted to do was spread him out and touch him everywhere. I don’t think he likes the way he looks, I don’t think he’s happy.”

“The way he looks?” Lafayette repeats and John searches for a way to put it delicately.

“He’s… heavier than me and you. He’s got love handles and a little belly and big thighs. And I love it, he looks incredible, feels incredible too, but I don’t think that he does, you know?” he twists his hands together, biting his lip.

Lafayette is quiet for a moment, his hands on his hips and looking serious, before he steps forward and frames John’s cheeks with his hands.

“Then it’s up to you to show him your love,” he says slowly, in a way only a Frenchman can, earnest and romantic down to the bone.

The door pushes open then and both of them turn to look at Alex, frozen in the doorway with his eyebrows raised to his hairline.

“If you two need a moment…” he says and Lafayette and John spring apart, blushing.

“Non, non, I think we’re done here,” Lafayette grins. “I just want to say congratulations.”

Alex glares at John. “Did you tell him?”

“He already knew!” John cries, his hands flying up to defend his innocence.

“Hercules sent me a text this morning telling me all about it,” Lafayette rocks back on his heels in his delight.

“ _Hercules_ knows?” John asks in confusion.

Alex looks down at the floor. “I may or may not have bumped into him at the flat this morning and may or may not have accidentally let my poker face slip,” he mumbles, then blinks at John.

“Wait, if you didn’t know that Hercules knows then how did you know that Lafayette knows?” and John’s head starts to hurt.

“I’ll leave you to it!” Lafayette coos on his way out, throwing them a coy look over his shoulder.

John sighs and rubs at his forehead, reaching out for Alex with his other hand and pulling him close. He presses a kiss into Alex’s hair and breathes slowly, trying to clear his head.

“What did he say to you?” Alex mumbles, rubbing himself against John’s chest like a cat. He thinks absently that Washington naming his cat after him was actually a very adept observation, as Alex is honestly just like that cat, small and cute and prone to purring.

“He said he saw you limping,” John replies and pulls back to hold Alex at an arms length. “Are you?” he asks, concerned.

“A little,” Alex admits.

“You should have told me,” John says, unconsciously echoing Alex’s words from earlier in the shower.

“It’s fine, it’s good, it aches but it’s a good ache I promise,” Alex assures him with his eyes big and honest on his face.

“Did I push too hard, was it too much?” he can’t help but ask, anxious at the idea of hurting Alex in any way.

Alex bites his lip. “It’s just been a while, that’s all. It was wonderful, John, you were perfect, you didn’t hurt me.”

John stares at him for a second before pulling him in for a kiss, their lips gentle against each other. Alex sighs and slumps into it, his hands coming up to cradle John’s jaw and he breaks away, resting their foreheads together instead.

“How long is a while?” he murmurs and Alex turns a little bit red.

“Since before Eliza,” he says and John’s eyebrows fly up.

“That’s more than three years, Alex, I should have gone slower,” he babbles and Alex presses a finger to his lips to shut him up, shushing him soothingly.

“We can go slow next time,” he promises. His eyes are hooded and dark and John’s heart starts to beat against his ribs faster.

“Next time?” he whispers.

Alex nods against him. “You bet there’s gonna be a whole bunch of next times,” he takes a deep shaky breath. “I love you, John, I want this.”

John clutches at his hands, a huge grin spreading across his face, showing all his teeth in that goofy way he hates, before he can feel self conscious about it.

“I want this too,” he says fervently, and every part of him sings when Alex pushes up on his toes and kisses him again, both of them smiling too hard for it to have any real effect.

“I love you too,” he whispers against Alex’s lips and feels him smile. He resolves then and there that he’s going to spend every second of the rest of his life proving it to him.

**Author's Note:**

> john sings a little bit of 'arch n point' by miguel and 'high for this' by the weeknd. title: [this poem](http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/249156)
> 
> leave feedback. or you're an asshole. authors deserve feedback and i'm tired of only 5% of you bothering to press a button.


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